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David Thorpe ESPN: Re-Draft 2.0

Monroe is no longer available here, but George looks like a real player and could have worked his way into being Tayshaun Prince's replacement. Evan Turner is also a consideration here, but I think George's upside is the key factor.

George should be a strong defensive presence in this league and also has the potential to be a top-two scorer on the team. He's a big upgrade in the "athlete" department as well, a sore point for the current Pistons roster.

George didn't make v1.0 of the re-draft and Thorpe had us snagging Xavier Henry.

Re: David Thorpe ESPN: Re-Draft 2.0

Earlier this season, we did a redraft of the 2010 draft, and it looked a lot different than what really happened in June. Now let's do it again. You'll be surprised at how much has changed in just three months.

Remember, it's too early to make final judgments or say that teams were wrong in the draft. Rather, this is just another snapshot of how the rookies look today and a way to see how they're evolving.

The Wizards may be terrible, and Wall simply has to improve his shooting, but there is no question he is at the head of this draft class by a large margin.

Despite playing on a bad team with some teammates who play like they don't care, or who struggle to be professionals off the court, Wall has maintained his competitive edge and is on the fast track to becoming an All-Star. He forces Wizards executives to ask, "How does he fit in with John?" every time they study a prospect or veteran.

DeMarcus Cousins has more upside, but the Sixers are looking for guys who'd mesh with their group of veterans and help them get back into the playoffs.

Monroe is starter material now and would be a great fit next to Elton Brand (high-low post action would be nice). He would also give the Sixers more of a defensive presence than Spencer Hawes does, and their style of defense would force Monroe to play harder and take more chances, which would help him play even better.

Knowing how desperately the Nets were looking for a star to acquire, and that this pick was going to be sacrificed to do so, it makes more sense to take Favors than Cousins.

Favors has more growing to do on the court, but few teams would be willing to trade their star for the current version of Cousins, as of now, anyway. Favors always projected to be a guaranteed starter with huge upside, and every GM valued him greatly.

I understand why the Wolves didn't draft him (see last week's Rookie Watch), but can't help but think, "What if they had?"

The Wolves force the ball inside. They have a great shooting and passing power forward in Kevin Love. And their style of play and personnel is a perfect match for Cousins, who would pair with Love to form the best defensive-rebounding tandem in the NBA. Within three years they would likely have the best power forward/center combo in basketball. Yes, even better than the Lakers' front line of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.

Don't let Patterson's pedestrian averages fool you. If he had been drafted by Sacramento, or any team not loaded with strong veterans inside, Patterson would likely be a 14 and 7 guy right away with relative ease. And he'd do that more efficiently than the guys in Sacramento.

Patterson's shooting and defense would have earned him a starting spot quickly, too. When we revisit this draft in a few years, Patterson will be among the top performers.

Given the Warriors' need for defense, I understand why they looked Udoh's way in June -- he has a chance to be very good -- but thus far, Davis is a better rebounder, shooter, finisher and scorer than Udoh (and Sanders). He's also comparable as a shot-blocker.

Davis looks like he's going to be a double-double guy in this league as a full-time starter, which could happen as early as next season. He is able to finish at a high rate inside and can also be utilized as a pick-and-pop guy -- that is a rare skill combination.

Monroe is no longer available here, but George looks like a real player and could have worked his way into being Tayshaun Prince's replacement. Evan Turner is also a consideration here, but I think George's upside is the key factor.

George should be a strong defensive presence in this league and also has the potential to be a top-two scorer on the team. He's a big upgrade in the "athlete" department as well, a sore point for the current Pistons roster.

I had the Clips taking Fields back in December because Aminu was off the board then. This time I like Fields here because he's a great fit next to Eric Gordon and Blake Griffin.

Aminu has more upside, but Fields would give the Clippers at least two perimeter threats on the court with Griffin and two guys who could feed him inside. I also like Fields' fit in the chemistry department; Aminu's cool and casual demeanor would take a backseat to the fire in Fields.

Going into the season, Turner could have been penciled in as the starting 2 in Utah, where Deron Williams' presence alone would have enabled Turner to have some seams to attack after ball reversal. The Jazz's offense would allow him to make plays inside within its flow, and his rebounding talent would be an immediate help. He represents strong value at this spot in the draft.

With George off the board, Johnson would be the choice here. He's starting to figure out how to use his athleticism to make defensive plays, and has become a very reliable shooter from a few spots on the floor.

For me, the question for Johnson has always been his willingness and ability to attack the rim. It looks as if he's making progress there, too. If that continues, he has a chance to be a top-5 player in this class within a few years, if not sooner.

Patrick Patterson at #5? Has he done anything in the NBA? This is about the first I have heard about him all season. I just thought that was really strange.

Also, here's Thorpe's update from today on Paul George (From the same link):

March 09, 2011

March 9: The Pacers lost to Philly on Tuesday, and George scored only six points and did not have an assist, but it was still a big game for him. He recorded his first 10-rebound game. It's something he's very capable of doing and something he needs to do to best take advantage of his gifts. Players who find ways to make significant contributions when their offensive game is slow have real value in the league.

The Following User Says Thank You to HickeyS2000 For This Useful Post:

Re: David Thorpe ESPN: Re-Draft 2.0

I'd say the top-four potentials belong to Wall, Cousins, George and Favors, probably in that order. The big man favoritism might push Monroe and Ed Davis ahead of Paul, though. I also think Davis has been a little bit better than Monroe, so I don't buy Monroe at 2 and Davis at 6. I think they'd both go 4-6.

Re: David Thorpe ESPN: Re-Draft 2.0

What issue? Wanting the last shot. Complaining he didn't get the ball. The guy has been putting up monster numbers this whole month and is playing better ball currently than Blake. Blake is better finishing at the rim but Cousins has him beat in ball handling and passing skill. I am excited to watch the game on March 25th when SAC comes to town.